Ophthalmology Commons^™

Narrative Medicine In Ophthalmology, Martina Rama

inSIGHT

While technological and medical advancements have made it possible to diagnose and treat previously deadly conditions, modern day medicine comes with a new set of challenges around the doctor-patient relationship. Scientifically competent medicine cannot always help patients cope emotionally with their health issues. For physicians, understanding patients’ experience with illness in order to comfort and accompany them through their challenges is just as important as meeting their physical health needs. Dr. Rita Charon, the founder of narrative medicine, highlights how physicians today sometimes lack the ability to connect with, empathize with, and support their patients through difficult diagnoses.¹ When …

An Inside Look: Oculoplastics And “Droopy Eyelids”, Payton Boere

inSIGHT

In writing this article, I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Alison Watson, an oculoplastic attending surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital, all about this exciting and innovative specialty. During our discussion, she said that one of the things she loves most about this field is its diversity, including the range of procedures she gets to perform and patients she is able to treat. While there are procedures common to all oculoplastic surgeons, such as cosmetic and functional eyelid surgery to address both upper and lower eyelid malposition, reconstruction following periocular cancer resection, along with nasolacrimal surgery, Dr. Watson explained …

The Present And Future Of Artificial Intelligence In Ophthalmology, Robert Abishek, Elliot Cherkas

inSIGHT

Dr. Ravi Goel is a comprehensive ophthalmologist and cataract surgeon at Wills Eye Hospital, with a specific interest in finding ways that AI can help ophthalmologists improve their clinical care and treat more patients. Dr. Goel also publishes a daily blog, Protecting Sight, where he discusses a variety of topics ranging from advances in cataract surgery to medical education. One common thread throughout his blog is the burgeoning impact of AI on the field of ophthalmology, such as the utility of deep learning algorithms for diagnosing various diseases and the impact that improved intra-ocular lens (IOL) power calculations will have …

Off Label Innovation: Discovering New Uses For Glaucoma Drops, Glenn Oh

inSIGHT

Dr. Jason Hsu and his team (Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston, Boston, Massachusetts; Retinal Consultants of Houston, Houston, Texas; Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital and Mid Atlantic Retina, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Associated Retinal Consultants, Royal Oak, Michigan) performed a multicenter randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial in which patients with nAMD who were suboptimal responders despite frequent anti-VEGF injections were randomized to use either dorzolamide-timolol drops or artificial tears.16 Eligible patients were 45 years or older with nAMD who were receiving ranibizumab or aflibercept injections at 4 - 6 week intervals (i.e., at least four injections within six months prior to enrollment) and …

A Career Of Honor And Humility: Interview With A Pioneer In Ophthalmology, Eli Cehelyk

inSIGHT

Imagine being a first-time parent in your early 30s, and you have just learned that your three-month old infant has retinoblastoma. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and you have no idea what the future holds. How would you feel? What thoughts would be racing through your head? With both hope and anxiety, you make an appointment at Wills Eye to see Dr. Carol Shields, a world-renowned expert on ocular oncology. With confidence and compassion, she walks into the room with her entire team and says, “Don’t worry, we will get everything under control for you. We will take your …

An Experience In The Wills Academic Global Ophthalmology Fellowship And Beyond, Crystal Lee, Mph

inSIGHT

Even before medical school, Dr. John Anhalt knew he wanted to serve communities all over the globe—after college, he joined the Peace Corps for two years, teaching math and science in the Kingdom of Lesotho. After seeing the vast differences between the health care in Lesotho and in the United States, Dr. Anhalt was inspired to apply to medical school with the intention of pursing a specialty in infectious disease before launching a career in global medicine. It was not until his ophthalmology rotation in University of Texas San Antonio, that he realized that ophthalmology, with its mix of medical …

Insight, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2021

inSIGHT

Contents

10 - An Experience in the Wills Academic Global Ophthalmology Fellowship and Beyond
By Crystal Lee

14 - A Career of Honor and Humility: Interview with a Pioneer in Ophthalmology
By Eli Cehelyk

19 - Off Label Innovation: Discovering New Uses for Glaucoma Drops
By Glenn Oh

22 - The Present and Future of Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology
By Robert Abishek & Elliot Cherkas

26 - An Inside Look: Oculoplastics and “Droopy Eyelids”
By Payton Boere

31 - Narrative Medicine in Ophthalmology
By Martina Rama